Water-bottle and closure-plug assembling machine



sept 29, 1925. y 1,555,092 C. WURTENBERG WATERV BOTTLE AND CLOSURE PLUGASSEMBLING MAGHI-NE' spf.29, 1925. l. I C WURTENEERG WATER BOTTLE ANDCLOSURE PLUG ASSEMBLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'Filed March' 25 1925'l INVENTOR CHAR LES WURTENBERG Y ,a l v a 1 I/l/ v j ms ATTRNEY y H1USC.

Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATESy PATENT oFFicE..

CHARLES WURTENBERG, 0F UNION CITY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOOD-YEARS METALLIC RUBBER SHOE COMPANY, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

WATER-BOTTLE AND CLOSURE-PLUG ASSEMBLING MACHINE.

Application filed March 25, v1925.

To HZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES fournirnnno, a citizen of the United States,residing at Union City, count7 of New Haven, State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vfater- Bottle andClosure-Plug Assembling Machines, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

rlhis invention relates to a water bottle and closure plug assemblingmachine, more particularly to a machine for assembling the elasticthreaded stopper receiving plugs in rubber receptacles such as hot waterbottles, ice bags, etc.

Rubber receptacles such as hot water bottles are now largely made by amolding process in which the body of the bottle is molded and cured andthe core then removed from the interior of the bottle by stretching theneck and withdrawing the core through it. It then becomes necessary toinsert in the neck of the bottle athreaded closure plug in which thestopper of the bottle may be inserted Various methods of inserting theplug have been tried, among which are cementing the plug in by means ofa quickcuring cement, which method requires the use of molds around` theneck of the bottle during the curing operation, while another methodconsists in cementing the plug. in place and then wrapping the outsideof the bottle neck with wire and afterward covering the wire with astrip of rubber. These methods are objectionable by reason of theexpense, time, and labor required, and more recently a better method hasbeen disclosed in' the patent to Randall & Pierce No. 1,484,407,November 7, 1922. This patent discloses a method and machine by which anelastic stopper receiving plug is constricted by an appropriate deviceand inserted in the neck of a waterbottle or similar receptacle, aroundthe exterior of which neck has been previously disposed a constrictingring. After the constricted plug has been aligned withthe exterior ringthe plug is freed from the constricting device and allowed to expand,thereby firmly gripping the neck of the bottle between itself and theexterior ring. This method and machine have proved very satisfactory inpractical use as compared with the methods previously employed forsecuring the plugs,

Serial No.' 18,336.

but the machine is manually driven and certain of the operations must^bemanually performed.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine forpositioning elastic plugs in openings in receptacles.

Another object is to provide a machine of this characterin which themanual labor is reduced to a minimum.

Another' object is to provide a machine in which the plug isautomatically disconnected from the holder by which it is inserted afterit has been positioned in the receptacle. i A l/Vithout intention tolimit the invention otherwise than as required by the prior art. thesame consists in a machine havingr a movable holder for detachablyreceiving an elastic plug, a device for constricting the plug prior tolocating it in the receptacle, a positioning device for the receptacle,and power driven means for actuating the plug holder and constrictingdevice and for automatically disconnecting the holder from the Y plugafter insertion.

For a detailed disclosure of the invention reference is had to theaccompanying speciiication and drawings, in which latter- Fig. 1 is afront elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with parts brokenV away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the automatic means fordisconnecting the plug holder from a plug; i

Fig.` 5 is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating the operation ofthe machine;`

Fig. 6 is a section on the line (3-6 of Figure 5;

Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section tlniugh the machine partlybroken away; an i i 8 is a detail of a clutch mechanism for the drivemeans.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the base of themachine, on the forward portion of which are disposed side frames 2 and3. At the rear of the base is an electric motor 4, the shaft ofwhichcarries a pulley 5 which by means of the belt 6 drives a pulley 7, andon the shaft o-f the latter is a gear 8 meshing with a gear 9 freelyrotatable on the main shaft 10 of the machine. The belt 6 is kept tautby means of any suitable counter-weighted idler pulley 6a. In order tooperatively connect the gear 9 to the shaft 10 a clutch mechanism isprovided, which, as it forms no part of the present invention, will bebut briefly described. Rigidly mounted on the shaft 10 is a clutchhousing 11 (Figures 3 and 8) which is provided with a peripheral groove12 which may be engaged by the cam lever 13 resiliently urgedv into thegroove by the spring 13a. Adapted to extend across the groove 12 is aspring pressed clutch dog 14 having a groove adapted to register withthe groove 12. lVhen the cam lever 13 is withdrawn the dog movesforwardly and engages a slot in the gear 9 to operatively connect thelatter to the shaft 10. ln order to at will withdraw the cam lever 13and permit the clutch dog to function said lever is provided with a yokeor bracket 15 the ends of which are secured to the cam lever 13 to forma retaining guideway for a cam release bar 16 operable by the pull rod17. rIhe bar 16 is provided with aV notch 18 engageable by one end ofthe yoke 15. As shown in Figure 8 the release bar 16 is urged to theleft and into engagement with the yokeby the coil spring 19. Also formedon the clutch housing is a release dog 20, and when the cam lever 13 hasbeen withdrawn to allow .dog 14 to clutch the gear 9 to shaft 10 androtate the latter, the release dog 20 after making a half revolutionstrikes the release bar 16, thereby throwing it to the right and freeingthe cam lever 13, which thereupon engages the groove 12 andfwithdrawsvthe dog 14 4from the gear 9. In order to quickly stop the shaft 10pivotally mounted brake shoes 21 are provided which are pressed by thespring 22 to continuouslyengage a braking surface on the clutch housing.It is obvious that any other suitable form of clutch may be used.

Mounted on the 'shaft 10 is a cam 23 (Figure 2), kwith which engages acam folof this tube tapers to a thin edge at its it may be adjustablysecured, in the present instance, to the retaining plates by the wingnuts 34.

Also secured on the main shaft 10 is a second cam having on its sideface a cam groove 36 in which is movable a follower 37 mounted on oneend of a bell crank lever 38 pivoted to the side frame 3 at 39. Theopposite end of the bell crank lever is connected by an adjustable link40 to a second or upper slide block 41 also movable in the slideway 29.Rigid with the slide .block 41 is an extension 42 in which is mounted aspindle 43 having secured to its lower end a threaded receiver 44 forthe stopper receiving plug which is to be inserted. At the upper end ofthe extension 42 a knob 45 is pinned to the spindle 43 for manuallyrotating the latter when the operator presents a plug'to the receiver 44for attachment thereto.

Also secured on the shaft 10 is a third cam 46, with the periphery ofwhich engages a follower 47 mounted on a lever 48 pivoted to the frame 2at 49, the follower 47 being held in contact with the cam 46 by a spring48a attached to the lever 48. The upper end of the lever 48 is providedwith a pin 50 movable in a slot 51 in a lever 52, which lever ispivotally and slidably mounted on a bracket 53 by means of a'pin 54 onthe bracket passing through a slot 55 in the upper end of the lever.kSlidable in the slide block 41 is a rack bar 56 carrying at its rear enda pin 57 engaging the slot 51 of lever 52. At its forward end the rackbar is provided with a rack 58 which cooperates with a pinion 59 rigidwith one member 60 of a clutch, which member 60 is rotatable andslidable on the spindle 43. The other member 61 of the clutch is formedrigid with the knob 45 previously described. A coil spring 62 surroundsthe reduced upper end of spindle 43 and tends to move the clutch member60 into engagement with the complementary member 61 of the clutch.Pivoted on the. slide block 41 is a lever 63 provided at one end with ayoke 64 surrounding the clutch member 60, while the opposite end of thelever is adapted to bear against an adjustable stop screw 65 mounted onframe 2 when the slide block 41 is in its upper position, and thereforewhen in this position the lever 63 is tilted to disenthe clutch members60 andL 6'1.

In operation the elastic stopper receiving plug 66 (Fig. 5) is disposedagainst the plug receiver 44 and the knob 45 manually rotatc ed tothread the receiver into the plug. As at this time the parts are in theposition shown in Figure 2, the knob 45 and clutch member 61 areseparated from theI `clutch member 60 and can be readily rotated toattach the plug to the receiver. A confining ring 67 is then placedaround the neck of a Cil water bottle 68 by passing it over the flexiblefunnel mouth of the bottle, and the bottle is pushed up with its funnelmouth disposed over the guide or positioning device 32 as shown inFigure 5. The operator then starts the machine, and as the shaft 10rotates the cam 35 through the bell crank lever 38 movesthe slide block41 and attached parts downwardly, and it will be noted that as soon asthis movement occurs and 'the' lever 63 is freed from the stop screw 65the spring 62 forces the clutch member 60 down into| engagement with theclutch member 61. In the downward movement of the slide block 41 theplug 66 moves downwardly within the constricting device 81 and due tothe tapering bore of the latter is gradually constricted until finallyit comes to a stop opposite the confining ring 67 as shown in dottedlines in Figure 5. While a secure and water-tight joint between the plugand bottle neck can be obtained without the use of cement, considerablefriction is caused by the downward movementof the plug 66 through theconstricting device and it is therefore desirable toapply a small amountof cement to the periphery of ythe plug, which acts as a lubricant. Assoon as the plug is in a position opposite the confining ring 67 the cam23 actuates the lever 25 to move the lower slide block 28 upwardly, thismovement of saidblock carrying the constricting device upwardly, therebyvfreeing the plug 66 and allowing it to expand against the inner wall ofthe bottle neck opposite the exterior ring 67. The cam 46 then actsthrough the levers-48 and 51 vand the rack bar 56 to rotate the pinion 59, and as the clutch members 60 and 61 are at this time in engagementthe spindle 43 and plug receiver 44 are thereby rotated-'to disconnectthe plug and the bag in which it is positioned from the receiver 44 andto force the bag downwardly. The slide blocks are then returned totheposition shown in Figure 2 and the machine comes to a stop, whereuponthe operations above described are repeated.

It will be seen from the above description that aside from' securing theplug on the receiver 44 and holding the bottle neck up against the guide32 no manual labor is required in the operation of the machine, andsince the mechanism is power driven the operation of the machine is verymuch more rapid thereby resulting in an increased output. In thespecific disclosure the machine has been shown as adapted for insertingplugs in oval-necked water bottles, but it is obvious that by suitablychanging the constricting device 31 and guide 32, the machine may alsobe used for round-necked bottles, and it is not limited to theparticular article shown but may be used wherever it is desired toinsert elastic plugs of similar character into the fnecks orreceptacles. n Y

l/Vith thewspecific disclosure above given it is obvious that numerousmodifications will `suggest themselves to those f skilled in the art,andit is therefore ,not `.desired `to limit-the invention otherwise:thanl asset forth in the appended claims. i

Having 4.thus described myV invention, what I claim .and desire toprotect by Let-y ters Patent is: i y y 1`. A machine forattachingelastic stopper receivingplugs to the necks of receptaclescomprising means for detachably holding a plug, means for inserting theplug in a re-A ceptacle while in constricted form, andautomatic meansfor freeing the united plug and receptacle from the plug holding means.

2. A `ma'chinefor attaching elasticstopper receiving plugstothe necks ofreceptacles comprising means for positioning a receptacle, relativelymovablemeans for detachably holding, constricting, and. inserting aplug,V and automatic means for freeing the insertedplug andreceptacle-from the machine.

3. A machine for attaching'elastic stopper receiving plugsto the necksof receptacles comprising means for positioning a receptacle, relatively"movable and rotatable means for detachably holding, constricting andinserting a plug inl the'receptacle, and automatic means for relativelyrotatingthe holding means and the united plug'and receptacle to free theplug and'receptacle from the machine. o

4. `A machine kfor attachingelastic stopper receivingplugs to thenecksofreceptacles comprising means for inserting a'plug .in a receptacleincluding a-threaded plug holder, and automatic means 'for disconnectingthe holder from the inserted plug.

5. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof receptacles comprising means for holding a plug, means forpositioning a receptacle by its neck portion, and automatic means forinserting the plug in the receptacle neck while constricted and thenreleasing it and disconnecting it from its holder.

6. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof receptacles comprising rotatable and threaded means for holding aplug, means for positioning a receptacle, and automatic means forsuccessively inserting the plug in the receptacle neck whileconstricted, releasing the plug, and rotating the plug holding means todisconnect it from the plug.

7. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof recepu tacles comprising a bodily movable and rotatable threaded plugholder, receptacle positioning means, a movable plug constrictingdevice, a shaft, and means operatively other openings in connected toSaid shaft for successively bodily moving the plug holder and plugconstricting device and rotating the plug holder.

8. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof receptacles comprising means for positioning a receptacle, means fordetachably holding a plug, means for relatively moving said hrst twomeans to dispose the plug in the receptacle neck, and automatic meansfor releasing the plug holding means from the plug.

9. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof recentacles comprising means for positioning a receptacle, means fordetachably holding a plug, manually controlled power means forpositioning the plug in the receptacle neck and means for automaticallyreleasing the plug holding means from the plug.

10. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof receptacles comprising lmeans for positioning a receptacle, means forholding a plug, manually operable means for attaching a plug to saidlast means, means for disposing the plug in the receptacle, andautomatic means for releasing the plug holding means from the plug.

l1. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugs to the necksof receptacles comprising means for positioning a receptacle, means forholding a plug including a rotatable spindle having a plug receivingscrew thread at oney end, means for relatively moving said first twomeans to dispose the plug inthe receptacle, manual means forrotating thespindle in one direction, automatic means for rotating the spindle in anopposite direction, and automatic means for connecting or disconnectingthe automatic spindle rotating means and the spindle. i

12. A machine for attaching elastic stopper receiving plugsto the necksof receptacles comprising means for positioning a z,

dle for automatically connecting or disconi necting the automatic,kspindle rotating means and the spindle. 18. A machine for attachingelastic stopper receiving plugs to the necks of receptacles comprisingmeans for positioning a receptacle, a longitudinally movableconstrictingdevice adapted to bedispose-d therein, a longitudinallymovable rotatable spindle, a threaded plug receiver at one end thereof,manual means for rotating the spindle, power means for rotating thespindle, aclutch connecting the two, a shaft, cams carried thereby,operative connections between said cams and the spindle and constrictingdevice for relatively longitudinally moving the two, anadditional cam onsaid shaft, operative connections between the same and said power`spindle rotating means, and means governed by the longitudinal movementof the spindle for controlling said clutch. l

Signed at New Haven, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, this17th day of March, 1925.

CHARLES' WURTENBERG.

